Can a truck run without glow plugs?

8 Answers. Glow plug is merely an aid for starting the engine. There are many designs still produced today without any glow plugs (eg military diesels run without any electricity), and even many modern diesel engines can be started if glow plugs fail (unless onboard computer prevents that).

How to troubleshoot a problem with a glow plug?

1 Evaluate which parts of the glow plug system are easily accessible. Start with the easiest and work your way to the hardest. 2 Find the wire from the glow plug temperature relay. If the wire is disconnected, reconnect it. 3 Observe if the glow plugs are getting the power they require by connecting a test light to the plug.

What does glow plug do in diesel engine?

Glow plugs in a diesel engine preheat the injection chamber, making it easier to start the engine. The glow plug relay controls the glow plug system by the pre-heat cycle based on the reading from the temperature sensor of the cylinder head.

Where are the glow plugs on my truck?

The Glow Plug Relay – Located on the left inner fender panel, provides current to the glow plugs as long as the thermal controller completes the ground circuit. The 6 Volt Glow Plugs–Used in This 12 Volt System – Are pulsed ON and OFF by the glow plug relay in response to messages received by the controller to prevent damage to the glow plugs.

How does the glow plug control module work?

This process is helped by the increase in temperature of the intake air during compression and the relatively low ignition temperature of diesel.

Why are the glow plugs on my truck not working?

Using a switch will not work because the glow plugs are pulsed ON and OFF by the glow plug relay in response to messages received by the controller to prevent damage to the glow plugs. If you just check the system you can determine what the problem is. It might just be a bad glow plug.

Can a glow plug controller be burned out?

The glow plug controller (black box that which relay is bolted on top of) is quite the smart little bugger in that it can tell when even one (yes even just one) glow plug is burned out. Now the problem with this is if you have bad wiring it will fool the controller into thinking that a glow plug is burned out.

How do you test a glow plug system?

Start with the easiest and work your way to the hardest. This process will help determine the logical order for testing the various parts of the glow plug system. Find the wire from the glow plug temperature relay. If the wire is disconnected, reconnect it.

What is the code for a bad glow plug on a Chevy?

Last month it showed a continuous check engine light with the underlying code PO677 (a failed glow plug on the number 7 cylinder). The local Chevy dealership found that the bad glow plug was also seized into the aluminum head.